Family Chapter 20
by Nonniepat
Summary: The Year is 1982. Keith Partridge has just returned from a long European Tour home for a special family celebration. His return will mark yet another change in the family . Neither Keith nor the family have any idea just what changes are coming or how the meaning of family will become even more important to all of them. Once again the Partridge Family. I do not own these character


Keith and Chris arrived shortly after Sgt. Williams was coming out of Danny's room after speaking with him. Pam was still in the room and remained at Danny's request. After the Sgt was gone Pam turned to her sightless best friend and boyfriend in shock at all Danny had said.

"Danny?" Pam asked.

"Hmm?" Danny asked opening his eyes as if he could see her sitting on the bed where she'd been for the last hour.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Pam asked. Danny sighed.

"Between you and Brian and those terrible headaches not to mention Sid when did I have time." Danny said.

"You could have told me the truth and not said you were mugged." Pam protested.

"It was easier that way so you wouldn't worry he'd try again." Danny replied.

"Yes but if you'd told me we might not be here now. Those headaches were more than headaches and it almost cost you your life. If I'd only known sooner." Pam responded. Danny sighed again.

"I am sorry I guess I should have told you the truth but you heard Sgt Williams this is my word against Steve's that he's involved." Danny replied.

"Let me ask around maybe somebody saw something. We both know that area is hardly empty of people at that time of night. Surely somebody saw something, Steve's car, something. We know a lot of people who go to that place." Pam suggested.

"To the back lot with the garbage dumpsters Pam?" Danny asked. Then he held up a hand.

"The car. Call the Sgt back if he's still here." Danny said and Pam quickly left the room to find the Sgt. A moment later Sgt Williams came back with Shirley, Ruben and Keith in tow with Pam and the officer.

"You forget something Danny?" Sgt. Williams asked.

"Yeah the car. Maybe nothing but he drove his big expensive bright red BMW right back to the back lot. He threw me against it and that was the first time I hit my head. I know it's red but maybe there'd be blood on it. Steve is too dumb to think to get the thing washed and besides he was too busy that night to think of anything but beating me half to death." Danny stated.

"And almost succeeded." Keith added.

"Keith." Ruben said quietly.

"It's okay Mr. Kincaid I know he's here." Danny said.

"Did you say bright red BMW? New?" Keith asked.

"Yeah why?" Danny asked.

"Saw a car like that at Laurie's apartment and then when Chris and I got here." Keith remarked and Danny let out a small gasp. Shirley walked up to Danny.

"Sgt. Williams." Ruben said.

"I'm on it. And thanks Danny don't know if it'll help but we'll see if we can get a warrant to search the car." Sgt. Williams said then went out to see if he could spot the car Keith described.

Back in Danny's room Shirley placed her hand on Danny's arm.

"You have nothing to fear from Steve Danny. He will never get near you again. Ruben has made sure of it. He has been served a restraining order to stay away from all of us." Shirley said.

"Laurie too? She's the one in the most danger of this guy." Danny asked.

"Laurie too." Shirley said reassuringly; feeling guilty herself for not speaking to her daughter the minute she suspected something was wrong with her relationship with Steve. But Shirley had reluctantly vowed to let her three oldest live their lives and not interfere. Now she felt guilty and not just about Laurie and Danny's current condition but her eldest too; he was worn down from touring and exhausted. She hoped he would seriously consider hiring Ruben again to manage him; at least then she could relax that his tour schedule was not too hard on him.

"We need to get her out of his apartment mom." Danny spoke up.

"Already done Dan. She's packed and back at your place with our grandparents and Tracy." Keith said. Danny laughed then coughed.

"Easy Dan." Keith said.

"It's just the image of my small apartment and our grandparents, you did say all right, and Tracy and Laurie. Wish I was there." Danny said.

"Yes, Grandpa Fred and Grandma Amanda and Pop and Nana are all there with Laurie and Tracy and it's quite a noisy place I assure you." Shirley said.

"Add Skizzy, Gordy, Punky me and Chris, Pam, Ruben and mom and it's like a sports arena in there." Keith added.

"I bet. Wish I could see it." Danny said with another laugh. No one laughed with him.

"Hey if I can't joke about this I'll drive myself crazy over it." Danny said when met with silence.

"But this is not funny Danny, none of this is." Shirley spoke up.

"Believe me mom I know but I am healing it's just my eyes and doc says that is only temporary." Danny said.

"I know and I know Dr. Westdale says the blindness is only temporary but I am your mother and I will not joke about you being blind, temporary or not." Shirley said.

"She hasn't changed since you've been gone Keith. She's still mom." Danny said with a grin.

"No she hasn't and I didn't expect her to. She wouldn't be mom if she was different." Keith said grinning himself.

"You do realize I am still here." Shirley spoke up and both her sons laughed; they knew.

A few moments later a new doctor entered with Dr. Westdale and Keith and Pam left Danny and Shirley and Ruben to talk to the doctor. After the new doctor, Dr. Ryan, left Shirley seemed more confident that the blindness was temporary. Even Danny seemed pleased by what was said. Deciding it was time to update the grandparents, Pam, Keith and Chris and Danny needed rest the pretty mother of five and their long time friend and manager left Danny to rest and entered the waiting room to Keith and Chris and a barrage of questions. Shirley sighed and sat down and explained what the new doctor and Dr. Westdale had said.

A little while later Shirley went to the payphone to call Danny's place and after talking to her mother with the latest news got a dinner order from the crew in the waiting room and told the grandparents so they could bring dinner for all of them when they arrived.

As Shirley was hanging up the phone she saw Sgt. Williams exit the elevator and she called Ruben from the waiting room and as usual got Ruben, Keith, Chris and Pam for her efforts. She sent all but Keith back to the waiting room and Sgt Williams led the three to the large window in the hallway overlooking the back parking lot.

"More fan trouble Sgt.?" Ruben asked as the Sgt. pointed to the parking lot below.

"Yes but another matter. See that bright red BMW down there. We think that's his car but we can't be sure. We don't want to spook him by approaching without verification if it is him." Sgt. Williams said as all three looked out the large window overlooking the parking lot.

"I never saw a car Sgt. but I know what he looks like." Keith offered.

"So do I and I can say that is his car." Chris offered from behind them. Shirley turned to face him.

"I thought I told you to stay in the waiting room." Shirley stated.

"I've met Steve mom." Chris protested.

"So have I." Keith spoke up.

"Yeah but I've seen him several times when visiting Danny you haven't and I've seen his car; that car." Chris said pointing out the window. Shirley grabbed his hand and pulled it back.

"Can he see us from down there?" Shirley asked the officer.

"Doubtful but if you're sure son I'd like to get a closer look but again I don't want to spook the guy if it is him." Sgt. Williams stated.

"Then let's go." Keith stated. Shirley put her hand on his arm to halt him.

"Keith you can't go out there." Shirley stated.

"Yeah, you'd be spotted on sight. I'll go. I'm not as easily recognizable as Keith here." Chris offered.

"Don't be so sure Chris." Ruben spoke up.

"Yeah but we need to get a good look at him and I can be sure it's him." Chris argued.

"Mrs. Partridge?" Sgt. Williams asked with a raised eyebrow. Shirley stood thinking a minute.

"Chris that restraining order pertains to you too and if it is Steve you approaching him could cause him to violate that order and I'm not sure how he'd react." Shirley stated.

"I can get him close enough to identify the occupant of the car without a violation of the restraining order." Sgt. Williams offered.

"Speaking of that order is Steve in violation of it now; if that is him?" Shirley asked.

"Not as long as he remains in the parking lot and doesn't try to enter the hospital Mrs. Partridge." Sgt. Williams assured her. Shirley sighed a moment later.

"Be careful and listen to Sgt. Williams. We don't want to make this situation worse for Danny, Laurie or any of us." Shirley said pointing a finger at her youngest son.

"Don't worry Mrs. Partridge I'll take good care of him." Sgt. Williams offered.

"Don't be too long." Shirley said and Chris headed for the elevator; glad to be doing something.

Sgt. Williams stopped beside Shirley and Ruben.

"Your oldest daughter Laurie, is she in the hospital now?" Sgt. Williams asked.

"No but she should be on her way with my mother and father and in-laws soon." Shirley said.

"See if you can contact her. If she spots his car she may react and then he will know he has been spotted. See if you can get her to not look around when she comes in. The less suspicion we can put on the possibility we know he's stalking out there the better and I will see what I can do about a search warrant for his car and apartment. I got a look at it this morning and it looked almost too clean for a young attorney always on the job." Sgt. Williams stated.

"But up until today Laurie lived there." Shirley stated.

"Yes but she is a young attorney to and from what I gathered from Danny this Steve fellow kept a watchful eye on her so if there was anything in the way of evidence of that fight that night Laurie wouldn't have seen it and that could mean we may find something useful." Sgt. Williams said.

"Useful?" Shirley asked.

"Yes right now it's Danny's word against this Steve's and without proof or an eye witness we just don't have the evidence to bring him in." Sgt. Williams said.

"I think I can help with that Mrs. Partridge." Pam offered coming from the waiting room.

"I am sorry I was coming out to tell Sgt. Williams that Danny and I know people that frequent that restaurant and the place is always busy so someone may have seen his car or the fight or something." Pam said.

"You mean the beat down. Is that the place Laurie took me to the night I got here?" Keith asked.

"Yep, same place." Pam confirmed.

"It's worth a try but be careful Miss we don't want to tip this guy off to what we are about." Sgt. Williams stated.

"Don't worry about that. Most people that we know that go there don't like Steve so if they know something they will be sure to tell us. I'm going to call a few people from here and see what I can find out if that's okay." Pam said.

"Anything that will help. It would also help if Laurie would be willing to testify against him if we can get enough to bring him in." Sgt. Williams stated.

"Don't worry about that she'll talk." Keith spoke up.

"Keith you don't know that. Laurie is an adult and if she is afraid to talk she may not want to. She has to make that decision and I will not have you or anyone pressuring her about it. I will talk to her when the time is right. Right now we have to prepare for Danny's surgery." Shirley said.

"Surgery again?" Keith exclaimed.

"That's my cue to take young Chris here and do some patrolling of the back parking lot to see if we can identify that as Steve's car." Sgt. Williams said shaking Shirley and Ruben's hand.

"Keep us posted." Ruben said.

"Sure thing. Chris will be back up shortly and call Laurie and prepare her that Steve may be out there so we don't alert him to us knowing he's out there." Sgt. Williams said.

"Will do." Ruben said as Shirley was already ushering Keith, with Pam headed to the pay phones at the end of the hall, to the waiting room. Ruben followed.

Inside the waiting room Shirley calmly explained the procedure of removing the drainage tube and Keith calmed down then went in to see Danny promising to say nothing about the car in the parking lot.

"Better call Amanda and alert Laurie. When are they coming?" Ruben asked.

"They are going to be bringing dinner so they are waiting for my call to come." Shirley said.

Shirley went to a free payphone and called her mother.

"Mom is Laurie there I need to speak to her?" Shirley asked and a second later Laurie was on the phone.

"How's Danny?" Laurie asked.

"Improving." Shirley said.

"That's good." Laurie said.

"Laurie when you come this afternoon please don't look around the parking lot. Just be talking to Nana or Grandma and keep your eyes on the doors leading into the hospital." Shirley explained.

"Why? Oh mom, you don't think Steve is out there do you?" Laurie asked.

"We can't be sure of anything honey but there is a car matching his car's description in the back lot and Sgt. Williams will feel more secure if you weren't looking around and reacted upon seeing his car and tip him off we think he's here." Shirley explained.

"How do you know it's him?" Laurie asked.

"Keith saw it and at your place this morning." Shirley answered.

"But mom Keith never saw Steve's car how would he know." Laurie stated.

"Danny confirmed it was a bright red BMW." Shirley explained.

"Yeah but mom there are a lot of bright red BMW's around. Steve is not the only one." Laurie protested.

"Hanging around a hospital parking lot?" Shirley asked.

"It is possible mom." Laurie said.

"Perhaps but just don't be looking for him and don't react if you see the car. In fact don't look around at all. Show Steve, if it is him, that you are happy with your family and that will help the break here. Do it for mom okay?" Shirley stated.

"Sure mom." Laurie said a little defeated. She hoped it wasn't Steve out there in the parking lot.

"Put your grandmother back on." Shirley said and a second later Amanda was on the phone.

"Anytime you want to come mom come. Danny will be going in to have the drainage tube removed early so I want us all here while he's in surgery." Shirley told her mother.

"Certainly Shirley. We will be there in about an hour after we stop for the food. Remind me to give you the key to Danny's place when I get there so whoever is coming back will have access." Amanda said.

"I will. See you soon. Bye." Shirley said that exhausted again in as many days returned to the waiting room to wait for Keith to come from Danny's room so she could check on him herself.

Twenty minutes later Chris and Sgt. Williams came back in and Shirley could see in her youngest sons eyes that the car and it's driver was Steve and he was sitting in the parking lot apparently stalking someone but was it Laurie or Danny or just interest in his own welfare, if he was the one responsible for Danny's condition, that he was thinking of.

"It is him isn't it?" Keith asked and Chris nodded with a smile on his face. Sgt. Williams went over to Ruben and Shirley.

"Chris identified him as Steve and I have called out a warrant for him to be picked up on endangering the restraining order by being so close to the family and a warrant to search his car. Can't promise we can hold him or that anything will come from a search of his car but it's all we have to go on with no eye witness to the incident." Sgt. Williams said.

"Incident? Sergeant my son didn't cause this aneurysm on his own." Shirley spoke up.

"Mom." Keith cautioned.

"I understand that Mrs. Partridge but I can only go on evidence and there is none at this point to connect this guy to any crime including the injuries to your son." Sgt. Williams explained.

"I am sorry. Forgive me. These have been some terrifying days Sergeant and I am just a bit overwhelmed and then to find out that my daughters abusive boyfriend is the cause of all this it is just too much." Shirley stated.

"I understand and I believe Danny but I have to be able to prove it." Sgt. Williams stated.

"I think I can help there." Pam offered coming in the waiting room.

"You found an eye witness?" Sgt. Williams asked.

"Better than that I talked to a waiter at the restaurant and he said he saw Steve's car waiting for someone then found Danny after seeing Steve's car speed away. Danny told him he was fine but Gary, the waiter, knew he wasn't. He says that a fellow busy boy heard a fight just minutes before Gary came outside." Pam offered.

"Excellent. I will go to the restaurant and get their statements. It's not an eye witness account but if we are lucky it will allow us to hold Steve until we can at least get Danny and all of you home to San Pueblo. Of course Laurie's willing to testify would help greatly and combined with Danny's testimony it just might be enough. Ruben, Mrs. Partridge I will keep you informed" Sgt. Williams said.

"Thank you Sergeant. We will wait for your call and let you know when Danny will be discharged." Ruben said shaking the man's hand then walked the Sergeant to the elevator.

Pam entered Danny's room to find his eyes closed. Shirley had just been told that within the hour the procedure to remove the drainage tube would begin and Shirley had told Pam it was okay for her to sit with Danny before her parents, in-laws and Laurie and Tracy arrived to see him before he went into surgery. Pam saw the smile on his face, with eyes still closed, long before she reached his bed and he held out his hand. She sat on the side of the bed and took his offered hand.

"Been missing you." Danny said softly.

"Me too." Pam said knowing he knew who was in the room.

"The doc told me about the procedure to come I guess mom said you could stay with me till it was time." Danny commented.

"Something like that." Pam replied.

"Good one mom." Danny said pulling her closer. Pam knew and leaned close enough for a kiss. A moment later she pulled back and got a groan from Danny for her efforts.

"You're not suppose to move too much remember. Let's get you healed first." Pam said.

"And seeing." Danny said with a grin.

"Oh you." Pam said.

"So I heard excitement out there earlier. What was going on? The whole crew in there?" Danny asked.

"You're grandparents and sisters are on their way and the guys and Mr. Kincaid and you're mom are still in the waiting room but that was not the excitement. I think I've helped Sgt. Williams with his case." Pam said.

"Oh do tell. You found a witness?" Danny asked.

Pam explained to Danny about the waiter and busboy and Danny nodded knowing both guys.

"You go right to the top. That's what I love about you Pamela." Danny commented smiling.

"No guarantee though Danny remember that. We have to prove this and Sgt. Williams is getting their statements as we speak." Pam said and almost told her about the car being in the parking lot but didn't. Shirley didn't want him to know.

"Tell me he has gotten a warrant for that BMW." Danny offered as if reading her mind.

"He's working on it. Like you need to work on getting well. Laurie is out of Steve's place and Sgt. Williams is on the case. One step at a time Danny, one step at a time. Now how are you feeling?" Pam asked.

"Surprisingly hungry." Danny said and Pam laughed softly; this was the Danny Partridge she knew.

"Surprisingly?" Pam asked.

"I've not been able to eat for so long or at least keep anything down that I was beginning to think I'd never feel hungry again. When I get out of here you and I are going for a steak dinner; my treat." Danny said squeezing her hand that he still held.

"Better make that dinner in San Pueblo because mister you are going home with your mom and Mr. Kincaid for awhile." Pam said.

"And you are coming right?" Danny asked.

"I'm working on it. I have to find someone to run the store long enough for me to get away." Pam responded.

"I say sell and open one in San Pueblo and then we can stay there together." Danny said.

"But you may not stay in your home town that long Danny then where would I be?" Pam asked.

"You can always come on the road with me and Keith. That'd be fun." Danny said.

"Yeah me, you, Keith and all the groupies; no thanks, I like you for myself." Pam said softly.

"Me too." Danny said.

"Besides, Keith says he's quit. You may not be going on the road with Keith after all." Pam said.

"I know Keith he's says that now but he'll go back; he's the best." Danny replied.

"Says his number one fan." Pam replied with a laugh.

"You got that right." Danny said as the door to his room opened. Keith and Shirley came in followed by Laurie, Chris, Tracy and Mr. Kincaid.

"Must be show time the whole family is here. I will see you later." Pam said trying to stand.

"You stay. You are family now." Danny said keeping tight hold of her hand.


End file.
